©FAO

28 June 2024, Sofala- To say that the Vida Viva Association is synonymous with resilience in agriculture would not be an exaggeration. Since 2022, FAO has been providing technical assistance to the group in Dondo District, Sofala Province, made up of 40 members, mainly women, under the PROMOVE Agribiz programme, funded by the European Union.

As a way of encouraging increased agricultural productivity and mitigating the impact of the rising costs of agricultural inputs, specifically fertilizers, resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, FAO supports associations like Vida Viva to expand strategic reserves of cereals in Mozambique and increase the national capacity to respond to food crises.

In the 2022/2023 agricultural season, 7 members of the association registered with the FAO's e-voucher system, with one of them signing up for the 2ha package and 6 for the 5ha package, receiving subsidies of between 47,250 MZN and 118,150 MZN for the purchase of inputs, including certified seeds and fertilizers. The farmers made co-payments of between 8,350 MZN and 20,850 MZN. They successfully cultivated 32 hectares of rice, which were divided into blocks, achieving an average yield of 4.5 tons per hectare.

Quisito António, one of the members of the association, recalls that "before FAO's assistance, production was minimal, limited to small fields". The introduction of rice seeds of the Macassane variety, with high yield potential, and essential fertilizers such as NPK and urea by the farmers has helped them reach new heights, with the creation of large production blocks, which, together with the use of quality inputs, has allowed them to significantly increase agricultural production and productivity.

The success of the production not only ensured food security but also increased the group's income, prompting them to expand both in terms of cultivation area and the number of members joining the e-voucher. For the following season, 2023/2024, they increased their area from 32 to 50 hectares and the number of members rose from 7 to 15.

This season, however, presented significant challenges: irregular rainfall, driven by the El Niño effect, threatened crop development. The association's members then decided to collectively rent motor pumps to irrigate their fields. "This year, the lack of rain was a big obstacle for us rice farmers," says Luísa Araújo, also a member of the Vida Viva Association. "But with the support of FAO through PROMOVE [Agribiz] and our joint effort to rent motor pumps, we managed to keep our fields irrigated. Without certified seeds and proper irrigation, our production would have suffered greatly."

Despite the climatic challenges, the association's members are optimistic as they harvest the rice in their fields. They anticipate a productive one, not as much as last season, but still one that will justify their efforts and investments throughout the production cycle. Their aspirations include expanding cultivated land and investing in a permanent irrigation system to mitigate future climate impacts.

As well as promoting the development of its members, the Vida Viva Association's recent journey has also benefited the local community. "Producing rice requires workforce, so we hire locals and pay them for their services," says Quisito António. "This way, everyone benefits - our association gets the help it needs and the community gets income."